The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-15
NEXT YEARS EXPENSES.
THE CITY COUNCIL TAKES UP THE
TAX ORDINANCE.


Going Over the Departmental Fsti-
mates-The River Front Railroad
Franchise-Bids for the Paving Con-
tracts-Street Railroad Matters.
Clerk of Council Rebarer broke all pre-
vious records last night and spun off the tax
ordinance on its first reading in nine min
utes and forty-one seconds The ordinance
contains something over 10000 words, and
its first reading is mere matter Of form
for the purpose of getting 1t before the
Council. The members usually get together
for a chat while the ordinance is on its first
reading, but they had very little time for
that last night.
Council will meet tomorrow night as COM
mittee of the whole to discuss the budget
for next year. The Finance Committee is
putting in rapid work every day now going
over the department estimates, and the
committee of the whole will try to equalize
the budget as far as possible.
THE RIVER FRONT RAILROAD.
The Central railroads petition for the
street franchise along the river front was
taken up and discussed at considerable
length. The special committee appointed
at the last meeting made lengthy report
whic1 was adverse to the granting of the pc
ition now before Council. The committee
is opposed to granting an unlimited fran
chise, and it suggested the framing of a
new ordinance. The report was received,
and later on Alderman Duncan introduced
an ordinance on the subject, which was re-
ferred to the committee, to be reported upon
at the next meeting.
STREET RAILROAD MATTERS.
The Committee on Streets and Lanes re-
ported adversely upon the petition of the
City and Suburban Railway Company to
extend its tracks out Abercorn street to
Second street and across TO Whitaker. The
company then petitioned to extend its
Liberty street line through Randolph to
President street. This petition is now in
the hands of the committee.
The Rural Resort Railroad Company
petitioned for the right to build its road
on the following named streets in lieu of
portion of the route granted by way of Boil
ton and East Broad streets. Through East
Broad street to Gwinnett street. through
Gwinnett to Habersham street, out Haber-
sham to Bolton street, there connecting with
route already designated by Council, the
change being a substitution of Gwinnett
street for Bolton. This petition was referred
along with the Others to the Street and Lane
Committee.
WANT THE RENTS LOWERED.
The joint committees on Market and
Finance reported adversely upon the butch
ers' petition for decrease in the rent of the
Market stalls. Clerk of the Market Mad
dox asked that his salary be increased to
800 month during the remainder of his
term of Office. The petition will be consid-
cred by the Market and Finance Commit
tees.
A petition from the Presidents of the rice
mill compani&, asking that the specific tax
on rice millsSe fixed at lower sum next
year than it was last, was referred to the
committee of the whole, and will be consid-
cred in connection with the tax ordinance.
THE STREET PAVING BIDS.
The only other matter of Importance be-
fore the Council was the reading of the bids
for street paving. There were half dozen
or more bids, the most of them for granite
and Belgian block paving. The only bid
for asphalt was by the Warren-ScharfC Com
pany, of New York, which made the same
bid that it did for the Broughton street
contract-$2 30 per square yard. The bids
for stone were from 80 30 to 81 95 per
square yard. All of the bids were referred
to committee of the whole, and will be
considered tomorrow night.